


Strangers

by J_Flattermann



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF, Original Work
Genre: Horror, Multi, Shapeshifting, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:26:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2186424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Flattermann/pseuds/J_Flattermann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><span class="u"></span><br/><strong>Strangers</strong><br/> </p><p>Author:<br/>Pairing: Craig / Opal<br/>Genre: Horror<br/>Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 for violence<br/>Disclaimer: Pure Fiction. All made up by myself.<br/>Summary: Two strangers arrive at an isolated Inn in the Carpathian Mountains.<br/>A/N: The returned snowball throw for sadme4b who wrote such a beautiful shape shifter story for me. I hope you like this, dear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Travelling Light

[](http://j-flattermann.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/952/868836)

 

 

They were traveling light. A rucksack with a bedroll each was the only baggage they had to show the stationmaster.  
The people at the train station kept their distance throwing them suspicious glances from afar. They found that the compartment they entered to find a seat was cleared soon as they showed in the door. They picked a set of facing benches and sat down.  
The woman shrugged herself out of her backpack and then let the thick brown leather jacket follow immediately after. She pushed up the sleeves of her jumper as she sat down in the overheated wagon.  
The taller man kept his cloak on, the hood drawn deep into his face.  
“Are you OK? Not too warm?” She asked when he sat down opposite her. “We will surely make it before nightfall.”  
He didn’t answer just looked out the window as the train started to ruck with the first movements out of the station.  
She smiled at him encouragingly and reached for his hand.  
“Don’t be so nervous, we will be there in time. GOSH! Your hands are like ice.” She exclaimed worried.  
She started to rub warmth into his hand but he pulled it away.  
“It’s OK. I’m OK. It’s just…” The words spoken more like a whisper broke off.  
“I know. I know. But it will be OK. I’m sure it will be OK. This will be the end of your ... our journey. Trust me.” She replied and smiled at him.  
“I wished I was as confident as you.” He murmured and then looked out the window again where a snow covered landscape was flying by only every now and then shrouded by the smoke that blew past from the old steam engine’s chimney.

The old steam train had to throw her full weight and power into the steep climb as she slowly crawled up into the mountains.  
Dense forests had replaced the open farmlands and on the right side the mountain’s rocky face that provided the danger of falling rocks and avalanches was only sometimes interrupted by a couple of fir trees clinging on for dear life.  
The lights inside the train flickered for a bit and finally went on. The hooded man began to look around and nervously shifted in his seat.  
She looked at her watch.  
“It’s not so late yet. It’s the forest that drowns the light.”  
This seemed to calm him a little and he sunk back on his bench.  
“How far is it? Best we get settled before sundown.” He said.  
She nodded.  
“It’s all arrange. Don’t worry. It’s not so long now. We’re almost there.”  
He gave her an inquisitive look and she had to chuckle.  
“Fifteen minutes.” She said.

It took the old train exactly fifteen minutes to roll into the station that was their stop. Carrying their baggage in hands as they stepped onto the platform they found that it was completely empty.  
“Strange. Are we the only ones to get off here?”  
“They are afraid of us, I reckon.” He said.  
He helped her to put her rucksack back on before shrugging into his own.  
“So where to now?”  
“Hm,” she looked around. “One moment!” She fished a letter out of her jacket pocket and unfolded it. On the back was a map drawn which she started to study. He came closer looking over her shoulder at the map.  
“I think we need to go that way.” She said and pointed to the left. He looked at the map again and then around.  
“You’re right.”

The map led them out of the deserted looking village. All streets empty and yet they had the feeling that eyes were prying on them. They were watched from behind drawn curtains. Both were glad when they left the village behind.  
The Inn they had planned to stay at was halfway between two villages at a cross road in a clearing of the large forest.  
They had an hour before sundown when they arrived and as the room was paid in advance in full the landlord overcame his suspicions.  
She had asked especially for a room as far removed from the rest of the Inn’s daily business and punters as possible. The landlord had arranged for a room in an outbuilding at the back of the complex.

She had checked them in and asked for some food to be delivered to their room before they made their retreat to the provided accommodation. The only access to the room was across the inn’s courtyard. The inn itself had a main entrance but also a working entrance for supplies to be delivered, the room they had been given was near that gate.  
Next to their entry door was a very small barred window which allowed to see who was standing in front of the door but also allowed the look into the courtyard and gave a clear view on both the Inn’s backdoor as the suppliers main entrance. However the main window which was slightly larger faced out into the forest and towards the mountain range as the building was part of the circumference wall.  
The room itself was furnished with the essentials. A bedroom with a large double bed, a separate bathroom with a tub and washing stand and a living room with a table for dining and chairs as well as a chaise longue with two armrest and a wavy backrest. The toilet was in the outhouse only a few paces away in an annex at the end of their building.

Shortly after they had entered their accommodation there was a knock to the door and the promised food was delivered by a young servant maid carrying a tray.  
She promised the girl called Lieselotte to return the tray herself as soon as they were finished. They ate in silence and when finished she rushed over the courtyard to return the tray to the kitchen. Hurrying back she found that he had already started to block the windows locking shutters and bolting them secure before drawing the curtains. She carefully locked the door behind her and helped him to push a box of drawers in front of it. The same procedure followed with the inner doors as well.  
“Do you really think that’s necessary?” She asked him even though she knew the answer. Therefore she only shrugged as he nodded.  
“OK.” She sighed the reply more than pronouncing it.  
He felt her resignation.  
“I do trust you.” He said and wrapped his arms around her.  
“I know, dear.” She said sounding sad, tired almost beaten but then she smiled and pressed a peck on his cheek.

She knew that she already had failed him. She only hoped that she would be strong enough to help him tonight.  
At first when the first full moon after his ‘accident’ had caused him so much pain she had been able to fight the forces of transition back. However more and more as time passed by the power of this force had grown and finally she had reached the point where she no longer could fight his transformation and with every full moon she had become weaker and his urge to loose himself in the bloodlust increased.  
He knew that tonight he would transform again and he wasn’t sure if she was still strong enough to keep him from leaving this room. He sensed that his curse had gained in power ever since they had crossed the border into these strange lands.

Long had they researched the spell he was under after his initial ‘accident’. Trying to find a cure. They had traveled far, had been consulting many old manuscripts, some so ancient that they feared them to crumble under their careful fingers.  
Far east they finally had come by a scroll referring to an old legend which had given them hope. She had noted down all the important steps to be taken and then a new search had started. A search that, so they hoped would see an end to it all and in this forlorn place in the Carpathian Mountains they hoped they would be able to bring the curse that forced him to change each full moon to an end.  
Important was to make it through this night with him not being able to indulge into the famous bloodlust of killing like the others who had fallen foul to this curse had shown. If she could keep him from killing or turning another being to the same fate then the spell could be reversed.  
But only if he hadn’t spilled blood.

However tonights full moon would hit him with her full force as they had come now to the country were the first victim had fallen foul of the same curse.  
His fear was a real one. Would she be able to calm him? Would she be able to fight his demand for blood? Would she be safe? Or would she fall victim to his blood rage tonight?  
What enhanced the difficulties was that here in this country people seemed to know him for what he was. In the other countries they had traveled to the people hadn’t been a power to be considered as long as they had kept to themselves.  
However the people in this country formed a threat on their own. As soon as they had crossed the border she had seen the sideways glances. Seen people sticking their heads together and seen the hate in the faces and eyes.

Tonight she not only had to protect him and herself but there was also the possibly that she had to defend them against attackers from the population. To scare people off a planned attack she had made sure that every time she had dealt with the locals she had shown them her strength and had allowed them to see glimpses of the power she embodied.  
Of course she had heard them whisper ‘WITCH’. However as long as this would keep them away and they were left in peace it would be worth the while.

A few minutes before sundown she settled on the bed with him cuddled into her arms. She sang softly to him an ancient lullaby, hoping he would fall asleep as this would make his transformation less painful. Only tonight his nerves were at breaking point and he was restless.  
“What if I hurt you?” He said keeping his voice soft. “What if tonight I am spilling your blood?”  
“Nonsense.” She said to him and tried to put conviction into her voice. “Rest now. Try to sleep. I shall watch over you.”  
She knew that the full moon would be fully risen by midnight and that this would be the most dangerous time of the night. He finally had settled down and fallen asleep. He had his head in her lap and her fingers leisurely scraped though his thick black hair. She had circled her finger around his ear in regular rhythm which had calmed him down a little.

She checked her watch in the light of a single candle that was on her bed stand. The difficult hour was thirty minutes away. A few more minutes went quietly and she was preparing, chanting herself into a trance. At the end of her exercise her mind was alert, her eyes had turned from the soft golden brown which looked like liquid gold held by a dark velvet ring to a now stark black with only a few blue spots shining in her eyes as making them look if lighted up from behind.  
His body began to pulse before it erupted violently. She grabbed him pressed her hands to his face forcing him to lock eyes with her. All the time she whispered magic words.  
However she could feel the fur growing under her hands and then a deep growling snarl emerged from his throat.  
“Craig. Look at me, Craig. Fight it. You can fight it. Hold onto yourself. You are a man, Craig. A man. Fight the beast. Fight the creature. Don’t let it win.”  
However it was too late and she had to let go of him as he transformed into a magnificent black wolf with bright blue eyes.

As she couldn’t help him but had to accept that he had changed his shape she began to speak softly to the magnificent beast he had become until the snarl stopped and the big black wolf settled down.  
A small sigh escaped her lungs when suddenly there were bashings to the front door and she heard the wood splinter.  
The wolf stood with fangs on full display and the fur on his neck standing up as if he was growing a mane.  
Then there were more bashings and finally the door to their room gave in and broke. A horde of angry villagers lead by the landlord bearing torches, hey forks, wooden flails and scythes glittering in the light of the burning torches.  
She stepped between wolf and the men.  
“You better leave. Fast.” She said in a very calm voice. “I can’t say how long I can control him.”  
The men faltered for a moment but then the landlord spurred them on again.  
“You are not scaring us woman.”  
She took a step towards their direction, the wolf standing ready to jump and tear throats behind her back.  
Her eyes began to shine filling the entire room with a blue light. She spread her hands and the middle finger and the ring finger of her left and right hand formed a cross she spread the little and index finger out forming a ‘W’ with her finger placing the thumb across her palm.  
Not one of the villager has ever seen such a movement before. With her hands raised and outstretched towards them she slowly moved forward and the scared men retreated at the same pace.

Slowly she drove the men out of their accommodation and into the courtyard. As she had to concentrate on the villagers, the wolf took his chance and speeding behind her through the door jumped the supplier’s gate and vanished into the woods.  
“NOOOOO!” She wailed.


	2. Dispair

With growing despair she tried to make up her mind what to do next. On one hand she still had to hold the men in check, preventing them to hunt down Craig. On the other hand hunting Craig down was exactly what she needed to do. Find him. Find him first. Especially, find him before he did something that made this entire adventure obsolete.  
However, first things first she took care of the villagers.

She had taken her eyes off the men for two-seconds watching Craig or rather the black wolf he had turned into, jumping the gate and vanish. It seemed the men overcame their initial shock faster than she had anticipated and now made their move on her.  
Gladly she just turned back in time. Facing the villagers her eyes began to shine in the strange blue glimmering light. She raised[](http://j-flattermann.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/952/869762) her hands in front of her breast, crossed the middle finger over the ring finger of both hands and spread the remaining fingers out. In the palms of her hands balls of energy formed and she flung them with all her might on the ground just inches before the feet of the approaching men. There the energy balls exploded producing much smoke and dust, stinging the villagers’ throats and eyes.  
The men began to cough and dropping their weapons stared to rub their eyes.

She used the moment to raise her hands still in the spell binding formation over her head, first palms facing she then turned the palms outward and swiftly pushed her outstretched arm down alongside her body and at the same time transformed herself into a great horned owl.  
As her arms turned into wings the downswing lifted her off the ground and into the air. A few more flaps and she hovered high over the Inn and its yard.  
Her eyes had grown huge shining rather like the huge yellow headlights of a car.  
She looked around but due to the density of the forest she couldn’t find the wolf. The owl she had turned into hooted in frustration. She took a dive and circled the area from the gate to the beginning of the tree line hoping to find the wolf’s tracks.

[](http://j-flattermann.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/952/870048)She did struck luck a little later but it held only until she reached the trees. The forest was to thick for her to fly in. On the other hand its canopy was too dense for her to keep her eyes on the wolf's tracks.  
She therefore landed on the ground and changed back to her human figure.  
Following Craig-wolf’s tracks into the undergrowth.  
Venturing deep inside the forest she suddenly lost the track. She started to circle the spot where she had last seen his prints on the soft ground. From there she increased the circles with every round. Still the track seemed broken. It made no sense.

She continued circling increasing the circles with each round, eyes focussed firmly on the ground.  
The full moon vanished behind a bank of clouds extinguishing the little light that fell through the canopy. She bent lower and moved slowly when suddenly the ground under her feet crumbled away and she fell. Banging her head in the process she was knocked unconscious and hit the ground several feet below trapping her right arm under her body, breaking her wrist and dislocating her shoulder in the process.

As she came to pain struck her like a lightning bolt and she couldn’t help but screamed in pain. She hadn’t fallen all the way down into the river valley but landed on a small ledge made of stone. Despite the excruciating pain in her right arm she got up and pulled wrist and shoulder back in place as best as she could. However the ledge was very narrow and quite thin and a quick look over the edge confirmed how lucky she had been. However it also confirmed that a further fall would be fatal as the next stop would be far down in a rocky creek bed.  
She cursed herself in frustration. The ledge under her feet was already starting to crumble. She was too heavy in her human form. All she could hope for was to be able to shift again. In a silent prayer she raised her eyes only to find that she was stared down at from over the edge above, the same level she had fallen from.  
Her golden brown eyes met with a set of blues in a dark face.  
“Craig?” She whispered.

As a response the fangs came out and a rumbling snarl accompanied the fierce sight.  
“Craig! Craig, I need you.” She said a little louder, not sure what the wolf staring down at her would do.  
“You know me, Craig. I’m injured, can’t get off this ledge. It’s already giving in under my weight, I will fall if you don’t help me.”  
She looked into the wolf’s blue eyes only to see him wrinkling his nose, rolling back his lips and his canines shone eerily white in the light of the reemerging full moon.[](http://j-flattermann.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/952/870287)  
However she wasn’t to give up so easily.

“Craig. Craig, look at me.” Her eyes changed colour again, shining from within blue into his blue eyes.  
“Craig, I need you to change back. I need you to become human again to help me off this ledge. Craig, please. Look at me. You need to change back. You can do it.”  
Their eyes locked and the expression on the wolf’s face change from anger to curiosity.  
“Please, Craig. My wrist is broken. My shoulder dislocated. In wolf shape you can’t pull me up. You need to change into a human to reach down and grab hold of my hand.”  
As if to provide proof she stretched her left hand up. However she couldn’t reach up all the way. The wolf however crawled closer poking his nose down and sniffed.  
“Yes, that’s right.” She said softly, “Take a good sniff. You know that smell, don’t you? Yes, you do. It’s me. You know me. We are travel companions, you and I. Just look at me, yes, like that. Look into my eyes. Just like so. Look at me. You are Craig. You are a human. A human man that goes by the name of Craig.”  
She spoke very slowly and soft as if she was trying to hypnotize him.

To her despair the wolf’s face vanished.  
“Craig? Craig! Please, don’t leave me here. Please, Craig luv, come back.”  
There was no movement or sound coming from above.  
“OH NO!” She wailed and then sighed as from far off a wolf’s howl was heard. “No, Craig. No.”  
“What are you lamenting for?” His voice came softly rippling down to her from above. “Reach your good hand up.”  
She started crying as much with relief as from pain but did as told.  
“What are you crying for, stupid woman?”  
“I’m just so glad to see your lovely cheeky face, you idiot. What do you reckon?”  
Their hands clasped and with a grunt he pulled her up.


	3. Charming Lieselotte

He let himself fall backwards just as she was over the edge and safe. Both were gasping for air. She from pain, he from the haul.  
When he had enough air back in his lungs he asked to see her injuries. She screamed again one more time when he pulled her shoulder back in place with one mighty ruck to her arm.  
“We can’t stay here. They soon will find us.” He said as he tried to pull her back onto her feet.  
“Shame that we left our bags at the Inn. I could fit a leather wrap around your wrist for stabilization. I have it in my aid kit.”  
She held her wrist and then looked at him smiling only to gasp in shock and frown.  
“Craig! What’s this? What have you done?”  
She pointed at his blood smeared chest and he looked at her apologetic.  
“The wolf was hungry.” He said with a shrug.  
“The wolf was hungry? Oh my god, Craig. Have you bitten or killed someone? Oh no, please, no.”  
He looked at her his eyes sad.  
“No.” He simply said, “I haven’t bitten or killed a human being. Thank you for your trust.”  
He halfway turned away but she quickly reached out and held him back by his arm.  
“It isn’t that I don’t trust you. You know that. You really should know me better by now. But this is blood on your chest ... And the wolf got so wild the last few times ... That I feared ...”  
She had to swallow hard. All the pain and worry as well as the love she felt for him was written over her face.

He turned, saw her and then hugged her tight.  
“I’m sorry.” He whispered in her ear. “Of course I know you wouldn’t likely think this of me. Otherwise you hadn’t put your trust in the wolf when you were down there.”  
He pointed at the abyss he had just pulled her from.  
“I killed a rabbit and ate it.” He said and for a second she sighed, closed her eyes and hugged him close.  
“We better go.” He said pushing her gently away.  
“You’re right. Let’s go.”

 

They vanished into the dense undergrowth and then waited, listening.  
The night time forest was filled with noises and amongst them were the ones created by a group of men, thrashing through the bushes. However the men were moving away from them and as well away from the Inn.  
“They are heading for the mountains. What you reckon, shall we make a run for the Inn and get our stuff? We can’t stay there anyway. Not after what happened tonight.”  
She looked at him waiting for his answer.  
He just nodded and they turned back to the small path that led to the Inn.  
“A shame that I can’t fly with that broken wrist.” She lamented. “Otherwise neither gate nor wall would be difficult to overcome.”  
She knew that now that he had turned back into his human form he could not easily transform back into the wolf. He wasn’t skilled enough for that, yet. Also he hadn’t been born as a shifter like herself only the ‘accident’ had turned him into one.  
“I could try to shift and you throw me over the wall. Then I only have to spread the wings to break the fall.” She suggested but he remained silent.  
“Once inside I could shift back and open the gate to let you in.” She carried on ignoring his persistent silence.  
Both gate and stonewall seemed to high for him to jump or trying to climb and with her broken wrist climbing was totally out of the question anyway.  
They had reached gate and wall, inspecting both for a possible way to overcome the obstacle, whilst discussing the probabilities when suddenly the gate was opened from the inside. They both stopped staring transfixed.  
Lieselotte, the maid that had served them their evening meal, stood in the doorway waving them to come through.  
“They are all gone in search of you.” She said but still looked around herself as if to make sure that she wasn’t caught helping them.  
However when her gaze fell upon Craig she froze in shock.  
Opal took her in her good arm, calming her. “It’s rabbit blood. He killed a rabbit.” She explained whilst Craig rushed to their rooms, cleaned himself and fetched their backpacks.

Lieselotte was calmed by her soothing words when he reappeared, clean shirt, washed and even shaven.  
“Thank you for helping us.” He said and smiled at her in a way that made the young girl blush and she was utterly swept off her feet from the attention the good looking foreigner gave her.  
Opal watched with a silent chuckle. He could be such a charmer, brushing people off their feet with on kind word and that special beaming smile.  
He had hooked her with the same trick. She gladly admitted it. The mere thought made her grin even more.

Meanwhile charming Craig had Lieselotte convinced that she would love nothing better but to helping those two strangers further. Waving her hand at them to follow her. She led them inside the empty Inn. Brought them both a bottle of brandy and two glasses for shots. Then rushed out only to come back with bandages and two more bottles containing ointments. One held an alcoholic solution to be rubbed onto Opal’s hurt shoulder, the other was a pain stilling solution which was dripped onto the bandages before they were wrapped around her wrist. Before long Opal had a warmed up belly, an oily pinewood smelly shoulder and a wrist feeling slightly numb and tightly wrapped in a bandage.

Craig had Lieselotte to join them with the drinking of the Schnapps as she called the liquor and soon the girl had had too much, so he carried her across the room and laid her onto a bench covered in her cloak for warmth. He turned towards his travel companion with a huge grin splitting his face.  
“Knock out in round one.” He chuckled, but immediately grew serious again. “Do you think you can carry your rucksack with your damaged shoulder?”  
Opal smiled back at him but shrugged. She loved it when he got worried over her and trying to pamper her. Not, that she ever allowed him to see her being really weak.  
“I’ll manage, I guess.” She said but let him help her into the straps of her backpack.  
He added the flacons the girl had brought to treat Opal’s injuries to his backpack, left money for them, the drinks and some food he had taken on the table for Lieselotte to find when she woke up. With his backpack stocked he shrugged it onto his back.  
“Ready?” He asked Opal and she replied smiling. “Ready as can be.”

They opened the front door only to a small slit and spied out, checking if any of the villagers had returned and was out on the road.  
“Clear.” Craig whispered and like two ghostly shadows they slid out of the Inn into the road, hastily crossing to the other side and vanishing into the forest.  
Craig held a small piece of paper in his hands where Lieselotte had roughly sketched a map of the area upon. Craig had turned it in his hands until the locations marked on the map fitted the ones of the real landmarks. He studied the map and surveyed their surroundings. Then he pointed somewhat to ten degrees to his right where a small footpath was just so visible. “That’s the way to follow.”  
He started to walk and Opal fell in behind him following the small and very much overgrown winding path.

They walked silently for a long while and Opal found that the walking made her rucksack move which then made the straps cutting into her shoulder starting it to feel sore again. However she feared that they still had a long way ahead of them. As the pain was getting stronger and could no longer be simply ignored she tried to talk it away.  
“Strange. I would have sworn we find them in the mountains. And yet this path meanders exactly into the opposite direction.” She started, hoping that Craig would pick up the threat as he usually did.  
“What made you think they’re in the mountains?” He asked turning halfway towards her and grinned.  
“I can’t really say. It’s just ... If they know so much about the wolves ... Hmm, ... I thought ... Don't the wolves live in the mountains? ... So I thought they would as well ...”  
He shrugged. “Your reckoning makes sense to me. However it seems not to be the case. I can’t even tell you why. I’m not a wolf for so long to know things as these.”  
They both laughed.  
“How long you think till we get there?”  
“Why?” Now he turned properly towards her. Seeing the sweaty pearls on her face from the pain caused by the weight and movement of her backpack, he worried again.  
“It hurts you, doesn’t it?” His face was knotted in a worried frown.  
“Yes. It does hurt. But I don’t want to slow us down. If it’s not that far anymore, let's press on. How far is it?”  
“Half a mile, I reckon. Just behind that bend supposedly.”  
He replied while studying the map again matching their progress between map and surroundings.

Night was almost over and through the trees of the now more open forest she could see the orange light of the not quite raised sun forming a line just over the mountain range.  
They had stopped walking for a moment as Craig searched his backpack for some kind of padding to shove under her shoulder strap to prevent it from hurting her already injured shoulder even more.  
He was still rummaging when suddenly the howls of three individual wolves could be heard.  
Craig immediately raised his head in the direction. Opal could sense that he urged building in him to reply but she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder as he crouched behind his pack.  
“Don’t Craig. Fight the urge. We can’t afford to let anybody know where we are. Not until we have found them.”  
She saw him biting his lip but he nodded.  
Of course she was right.


	4. Injured

The new application of ointment and the extra padding provided by Craig’s checkered flannel shirt worked wonders and with the pain almost gone they both marched on. Still Craig turned back to check on her every two minutes.  
“I’m fine. Really!”  
“No need to worry. I’m good.”  
“The shoulder feels fine. Honestly, Craig.”  
She started to chuckle. Never before had Craig acted so much like mother goose. After the fifth time however it lost it’s charm.  
“OK. Stop it now. I’m fine.”  
Her response spoken with verve produced a smirk on his face and just for a tease he said. “You’re sure?”  
She picked up a lump of dirt and flung it at him hitting him between his shoulders where it crumbled and fell back to earth.  
“Hey! Watch it!” He shouted but giving himself away by the laughter that followed the shout.

They carried on walking and shortly after the path opened up the forest fell behind giving way to the view of a large lake. From it’s left shores a tiny column of smoke rose.  
“Do you think that's them?” Craig asked and Opal shrugged.  
“Possible. We’ll find out soon enough.” She said but then suggested, “We best be cautious. We don’t know yet who this is.”  
Craig nodded, he couldn’t agree more. He had no intension to stumble into more trouble.

Gladly they had to cross bushland with man-high bushes dotted all along the way providing enough cover for them to approach the campsite unseen if they didn’t remain on the path.  
“OK. It’s them all right.” She said sotto voce as they were inspecting the campsite from their hidden viewpoint.  
Carefully not to be discovered and taken for spies or enemies they retreated to make an official approach by way of the path. They were spotted quickly enough as they came upon the camp.  
Surrounded by children the two entered the small camp site of the travelers.  
“Who are we going to see here again?” Craig asked in a soft voice just for confirmation.  
“We are looking for one of their elders. A sort of a ‘holy’ woman.” Opal explained in a likewise hushed voice. “By the way, check your thoughts. I’ve been told she can read minds. Best don’t think of ... The accident, you know. ... Best don’t think of my abilities either. ... We won’t offset her. We need her to talk.”  
“Alright. What is that woman called?” Craig whispered back.

“Catarina Adria.” A voice said out loud and both stopped in their tracks as an elderly woman came towards them. “What do you want with me, strangers?”  
The woman still a good stretch away, too far to have had overheard their conversation, demanded to know.  
Craig’s jaw dropped. “She never can have heard us.” He gasped.  
“I told you she can read minds.” Opal replied still whispering but then spoke up in her normal voice.  
“Catarina Adria? Is that you? We need your assistance. A piece of information rather.”  
“Go away!” the old woman demanded, “And take the wolf with you.” In a snarl she added “You are not welcome. GO AWAY!”

The children who had stood close, now started to scream and fled at the mentioning of the word “wolf”.  
Craig looked at Opal irritated and about to turn away but Opal held him back by his elbow.  
“Stay!” She said to him and addressing the old woman her voice had a sharpness to it.  
“If you want the wolf to leave you better help us. Otherwise we stay overnight and you know full well that full moon is not over yet.”  
Catarina Adria folded her arms and started to whisper spells but Opal wasn’t impressed. Using her magic finger crossing again she conjured the energy balls to form in her palms.  
The old gypsy woman stopped her whisperings and fear showed in her eyes. She bowed to Opal and asked for forgiveness. She then turned around looking for her companion.  
“Zale! Zale! Put the kettle up and fetch some more firewood.”  
Then she turned back towards Opal and Craig again inviting them with a bow and an out swing of her arm asking the two to follow her to her tent.

There the two were officially welcomed with herbal tea and asked to sit down on the floor on some cushions, which were the only ‘furniture’ inside the tent. The old man called Zale smiled a toothless smile at the visitors, offered them tea and some dates on a tray before bowing out of the tent to attend to the chores he was asked to see to.  
As soon as the old man was gone the woman sat down opposite Opal and Craig.  
“You want to know if you can be cured.” She let the cat out of the bag immediately looking at Craig who just nodded in confirmation.  
“There is no cure.” She said harshly but then leaned forward and fixed her dark eyes on Craig’s blue.  
She leaned back, astonishment clearly seen on her face.  
“You haven’t reproduced yet. Unusual. Very unusual. How long are you a wolf?”  
“Seven years." Craig answered and the old shook her head in even further astonishment.  
“That’s impossible. Absolutely impossible.” Catarina muttered. “Seven years and all I see is the killing of a small animal. That’s all. How is this possible? It can’t be possible.”  
Catarina turned to Opal.  
“You must be very powerful, M’Lady.” She said and kowtowed to Opal in reference.  
“You are the force that keeps his curse at a minimum.” The gypsy just stated.  
“Yes, this is true. But my power is receding. In the beginning I could keep him from turning. But now the wolf has grown stronger and yesterday he killed for the first time. True, it was just a rabbit but still it was a killing. Who can say what the wolf will kill next?”  
Opal sounded tired almost resigned.  
“We are here because we need some information, Catarina and then we are on our way again.”

Opal signaled Craig who pulled an ancient book from his backpack. Catarina Adria gasped in wonder at the sight of the old volume.  
“Where did you find this?” She said wide eyed, hand outstretched yet not daring to touch.  
“We had to travel far to the East.” Opal replied. Meanwhile Craig had leafed through the book in search for a marker and after the page marker was found opened the book at said page to reveal a photograph of a dark haired man.  
“Do you know where we can find him?” Opal and he asked at the same time.  
Catarina Adria stared at them as if they both had lost their minds.  
“He is the source of all evil.” The old gypsy whispered drawing the sign of the cross three times before leaning forward to meet with the two as if she feared to be overheard.  
“It’s very dangerous to seek to find him.”  
Opal and Craig nodded their understanding.  
“We know!” They said again in unison.

The old woman shook her head and a sad smile broke her wrinkled face. She understood.  
“May I see?” She asked looking at Craig.  
Craig knew instinctively what it was Catarina longed to see and began to unbutton his shirt, pushing it open and over his left shoulder. There on his left breast just over the heart was a black scar, a bite mark. Standing out aggressively against his golden tinted skin, time it seemed had no effect on the mark.  
Catarina stretched out her hand as if to touch but before her hand even reached Craig’s skin Craig’s face changed and the wolf’s face replaced the handsome features of the man, snarling.

Catarina quickly pulled her hand back, clasped it with her other, took a deep breath and uttered.  
“The blue eyed wolf. The prophecy!”  
The wolf vanished immediately as her hand was removed and replaced by an apologetic faced Craig who couldn’t explain what had caused the wolf to show his face.  
But Catarina just shook her head and then under tears started to laugh so hard that Opal and Craig feared that she had lost her senses.  
“The prophecy! The prophecy!” The old woman shouted, got up and ran out of the tent as fast as her old joints would allow.  
She carried on shouting “The prophecy!” and her yells drew the rest of the clan out into the open, all gathering around her.  
“They are here. It’s them. They’ve come. The prophecy. All will be well.” The old woman shouted and smiled through her tears.


	5. The Prophecy

Craig and Opal had followed Catarina Adria outside. They watched in astonishment as the entire clan, Catarina, Zale and all the others bowed before them only to rush towards them afterwards to hug and kiss the two.  
Opal and Craig stood confused.

“What prophecy is she hoot’n about?” Craig whispered in Opal’s ear wondering, but she only shrugged.  
“I haven’t the faintest.” She confessed in a hushed tone, looking as astonished as he.

The clan finally settled down after first all talking, laughing and crying at the same time and since their guests were befuddled started to explain.  
A leather pouch was brought forward for Opal and Craig to see and Catarina explained it’s history and content.  
“This,” the old gypsy woman said, “has come down to us from our ancestors. It is very old and held sacred in our family.”  
She opened the pouch and unfolded the parchment it contained. The parchment was old and delicate to be handled not to crumble away under the hands of the handler. As the parchment was carefully unfolded it revealed a colourful painting. Opal and Craig looked at it in admiration but they didn’t understood what the painting was standing for.  
The people of the gypsy clan laughed heartily at the confused faces of their visitors.  
“You can’t understand,” Catarina said to them smiling widely. “For this is for us, not for you.”  The family members all nodded and giggled.

The artwork was laid out on the floor and the family including Opal and Craig gathered around it.  
“It all begins with the creation of the first wolf.” Zale started the tale as he was the family’s history keeper.  
“Show them your picture from the book.” Catarina Adria asked Craig who dutifully opened the book and showed the photograph of the dark haired man. A gasp went through the numbers of the family members as they all realized that this was more than family-lore. “That’s HE!” Zale shouted excited and pointed at a figure painted on top of the parchment which looked very much like the man on the photograph.  
Opal and Craig exchanged glances but didn’t dared to interrupt Zale’s story. There would be time to ask questions later.

“He is much older than this photograph makes believe. He is the father of all the wolves.” Zale carried on. “He has created them all and brought the evil into this world.”  
Zale’s tale was a simple one. The man whose name was tabooed by the clan had experimented with gene manipulation and mutations but as he ran out of funds and test objects he had started to use himself as a guinea pig. Many years of research had culminated in one vial of a sickly green coloured and sparkling serum, if the colouring of the drawing could be trusted.

During the next weeks the man had injected himself repeatedly with the serum and recorded its affects on his body in a diary. All this had been witnessed by his last remaining servant, a man of a local gypsy tribe.  
However the serum didn’t seemed to have any affect on the man at all as his heart's beating rate remained normal, no abnormalities in sweat, thirst or hunger were noted. Only after the last of the serum had been used the man suddenly seemed to undergo some sort of transformation. The changes in his master scared the servant so much that he fled the master’s mansion in the mountains. However he stayed close enough to observe what happened to the scientist ever growing in madness.  
The night the last shot of the serum had been injected had been a full moon and the man growing mad had raged believing he had turned into a monster. He ran out of the house screaming and was almost lost in the woods. The servant struggled to keep up with the raving madman.  
“He was no wolf then.” Zale stressed, “However the drug in his system made him believe that he had turned into a wild monster. It was when the man had fled into the forest that he came across that lone wolf.”  
The family who had heard the story told so many times before still didn’t seemed to have lost their interest, began to shout. “Tell us what happened next, Zale.”

“Madman and wolf met.” Zale continued after the calls had faded down. “The servant saw his master reacting towards the wolf as if he was astonished that the animal didn’t flee as he approached. For everybody living in these parts knew that wolves normally avoided to go near people. What the madman didn’t realized was that this particular wolf was suffering from rabies.”

As the man maddened by the serum came closer in curiosity not recognizing the danger he was in. The sick wolf attacked and bit the man in the arm. The attack most likely led to a reaction between the serum and the virus the wolf was suffering from and resulted in the man falling into a blood rage. The rage gave the man incredible strength by which he tore the wolf apart. Terrified the servant watched as the madman started to feast on the wolf’s flesh and according to the servant’s tale the master swallowed the wolf’s still beating heart in one.

According to the gypsy’s legend the still beating wolf’s heart carried on living in the man’s chest next to his own heart. The gypsies believed that all men-wolves would die as soon as the wolf-heart in the scientist's body would stop beating.  
Since the eating of the sick wolf’s heart the man was overcome with rage caused by the rabies and each time the moon was full he fell back into this blood rage again. Each full moon he created a new man-wolf roaming the mountains and attacking everyone he stumbled upon.

Even though he killed many over the centuries it was only the male victims, survivors of his attacks that turned into wolves and therefore the people started to call them the men-wolves.  
Women had been attacked as well of course but all died within two month after the attack no matter how slight their injuries had been.

Some years later during a time when the men-wolves were infesting the country and people became too scared to leave their houses and villages after dark. When each hamlet started to build a sturdy wall around its settlements. During that time only foreigners fell foul to the course. It was that time that another gypsy tribe arrived in the area.  
The locals started to call them “The Hunters” as they soon after their arrival began to hunt down the men-wolves. Just the father of the wolves seemed to remain evasive, for many had tried but failed to kill him.

The gypsies' legend spoke of the servant getting married to one of the women of the tribe which turned out to be Catarina Ardia’s ancestor. A healer and wise woman by the name of Aida Catarina Adria. It had been her ancestor who was said to have had an encounter with the Virgin Mary in the woods who informed her of the prophecy.

Craig raised his eyebrow looking at Opal but she just patted his hand and mouthed ‘Patience’.  
“Quite right,” Catarina said turning towards them, “The wolf needs to learn to be patient.”  
The prophecy was quickly retold.  
One day so it said a huge black wolf with blue eyes would appear and he would be in the company of a witch. These two were to find the father of all wolves and to kill him by removing the wolf’s heart from the man’s body.  
“The Hunters” however would go and hunt the remaining men-wolves and kill them so that no one of the wolves would be left alive.

“Does the prophecy say how the killing of the man is to be done?” Opal asked as Craig paled and fell silent. “And what is going to happen to the black wolf?”  
Before Catarina replied Craig had jumped to his feet and rushed out of the tent.  
“What is with him?” The family members asked.  
“It’s dusk, he removes himself from your camp. Just a precaution. I better go now too.” She said wishing them all a good night and left in search for Craig.  



	6. By the Lake

Opal was used to read Craig’s wolf tracks. She had done this so often before. However these were man tracks and they led her out of the camp. Through some lonely trees over a small meadow and to the shore of the lake where a small wooden pier reached out of the men-high reed grasses into the open water of the lake.

There at the end of the pier shoulders sunken Craig sat, still in his human form. Something, she knew, to change as soon as the moon would crawl over the mountains and the forest. The wooden boards of the pier creaked as she stepped on and gave her away. Craig turned briefly only to turn back without saying a word.

Only the continuance of the creaking boards and the vibrations as her foot fell upon them told him that she was coming near. Her hand fell onto his shoulder and he felt her weight as she supported herself sitting down next to him. Their feet dangling into the empty hull of a rowing boat moored at the pier. Oars safely tucked under the seating boards.

They sat, shoulders touching, in silence for a short time. Finally she pulled him closer.

“What do you think about this prophecy? I can’t get my head around it.” She said.

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes but she squeezed his shoulder with her arm around him.

His sadness was touching her. Made her feel very protective of him.

“What if ...” He started and stopped as if afraid to say the words.

“What if what, Craig?” Opal said.

Craig sat hunched.

“What if that prophecy is right?”

Opal stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you hear?” Craig said his voice flat with sadness. “The prophecy says that the blue eyes wolf will be the end of all wolves.”

Suddenly it hit her.

“You mean that ...”

He nodded.

“OH NO!” She shouted. “NO, Craig, no. I would never allow that. You know that.”

She turned to look at his face just to see how the man vanished and the wolf emerged.

She found that she had her arms still around the neck of the animal, her eyes locked with his blue.

“I never will allow anything to happen to you. I shall go with you all the way. I will never leave your side.” She said and then let go of the tall black beast.

The wolf got up, shook and then with a massive leap was gone before she could blink.

“Stay safe.” She whispered, eyes wide and blue. “Remember, killings only for food.”

From further off the wolf howled as if to confirm that he had understood.

She sighed. Stepped down into the boat, got the oars out. She found a woven basket in the keel of the boat. It contained fishing utensils, hooks and lines.

“Good.” She said to herself and rowed out into the lake.

In mid lake she secured the oars and prepared a fishing line. Soon after the hook was dancing over the dark surface mimicking a small insect.

An hour and a half later she walked back into the gypsy camp with four large fish dangling from a vine used as a handle fiddled through the fishes’ gills.

She smiled.

She hadn’t lost her hunting or rather fishing skills when a human being. True, normally when it came to hunting for food she left this to the great horned owl to do all the work for her.

As she came back and entered the camp Catarina and Zale came towards her. The old woman looking very worried.

“Where is the man-wolf?” Catarina asked straight away.

“Hunting.” Opal answered and quickly added. “For food.”

Catarina and Zale looked at each other their faces frowned with worry still.

“The hunters are out.” Catarina simply said.

Opal raised an eyebrow not getting what the two were after. “Which means?” She said. “I think he’s not gone far from the camp.”

“Our hunters are out.” Zale repeated.

Suddenly Opal understood and worried too. The two old people weren’t referring to hunters going for food.

Opal turned halfway then turned back. She suddenly remembered how Catarina’s almost touch had drawn the wolf out of Craig. She began to understand that these gypsies and the men-wolves were mortal enemies. Enemies for centuries.

She began to fear for Craig. But what could she do now? He was long gone.

Even if she turned into the owl it was most unlikely that she should find the wolf.

From a far distance wolves began to howl and the sound made her shiver.

Her worries grew. She wished the night was over and Craig back.

Craig the man or Craig the wolf she didn’t cared which.

“What are you suggesting? Is he in danger?”

The two elderlies shrugged.

“We don’t know. Depends which way he went.” Zale said but then both old people froze.

Opal whirled around fearing the worst. In the forest behind the camp lights were moving.

“Are these your hunters or the villagers?” Opal asked even though she knew that it didn’t mattered for both options were bad news.

A movement at the fringe of the forest made her head turn and then she almost cried. One single tear ran down her cheek.

At the edge of the forest a big black wolf appeared, stopped before stepping out into the bushland. Then started to run and during running changed into a well known human form.

She dropped her fish and broke into a run herself until they met and she flung herself into his arms.

She knocked the air out of his lungs, he almost fell over and both stopped.

“Ugh!” He huffed on her impact and then when he had stabilized them “What’s the matter?”

She just squeezed him, pressed him to her heart not able to reply.

He wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s OK. I’m fine. Let’s go back to the camp. Am hungry. Wasn’t lucky tonight.” He said and she nodded.

They walked back to the camp, her arm around his waist, his over her shoulder. He felt that she didn’t wanted to speak about what had caused her reaction. Instead she chatted about everything and nothing. She told him that she had been out on the lake fishing. 

When they arrived at the camp Catarina and Zale handed her the catch, fish cleaned, the sand washed off. She thank the two and then Craig and herself retreated to the far end of the camp to set up their own.

He was preparing the fish, gutting and descaling whilst she kindled the fire. 

The old couple watched the two as they worked hand in hand like a well oiled machine. Catarina smiled sadly. “It's such a shame.” She sighed. Zale nodded.

He got up opened some of their food stores and produced some edible roots and herbs.

Catarina smiled at him and nodded. They too were a good team. The many years together showed. They weren’t in need to speak but one would know what the other was up to.

Zale walked over and clearing his throat tried to get Opal or Craig’s attention.

Both looked up and Zale produced the herbs and roots. 

“We thought,” he pointed back at Catarina, “that this would go nicely with your fish.” 

Opal and Craig thanked him simultaneously. Opal with a beaming smile, Craig with a nod of his head.

Zale grinned his toothless smile and chuckled. Then turned to walk back to his wife.

“They are nice.” He said. “Shame.” Catarina nodded.

“Is there nothing that can change that fate?” Zale asked, “I beginning to like them. Even though he’s a wolf.”

Catarina shrugged. “It’s the prophecy.” She said. “You can’t just change the prophecy.” 

She looked at him and saw him looking quite sad. She came over and hugged him. “I know what you mean. I like him too. He’s different for a wolf. You see, that is actually exactly what the prophecy is about. Only because he is different from the other wolves he will be able to free us from them all. Shame that he’s going to perish that way but it can’t be helped. At last he is a wolf too.”

Opal and Craig ate one fish each and the two left overs were stored for the next morning.

“Will you tell me now what was going on?” He asked after they had finished their evening meal. 


	7. Waiting for Full Moon

With the time of full moon gone Craig and Opal couldn’t do much but wait until full moon would return. This gave them a four weeks window to prepare.  
Over the next weeks Craig wouldn’t turn and so they decided to stay with the gypsies.  
 Craig, the man, went out hunting for food with the tribes men, while Opal stayed with the women urging them to retell the story and the prophecy in hope to gather as much information as she could and to rethink what could be done to save Craig.  
Opal still hoped she would find a loophole by which the blue eyed wolf could be spared.

Catarina felt sympathy and even allowed her to take a direct look at the ancient parchment knowing that Opal would treat the delicate document with the necessary care and respect.  
It was Opal who came up with the idea to transfer the picture story on the parchment onto a tapestry and the tribes women cherished the idea adopting it immediately and took up work.  
Each woman busied herself with one of the pictures on the parchment. Each little detail was studied, discussed and transferred one to one into a delicate needlework.  
In the end each transferred piece would be put together to form the complete tale on the tapestry.  
Opal of course had no part in the work itself but was allowed to attend the discussions about detail and meaning. Ever so often she would add her opinion to the sometimes heated debates.

However Craig was not very happy to see Opal occupied in this fashion as he considered it a waste of her time.  
“I rather wished you would come training with me.” He complaint once. “You just have to face up to the fact that there is no way out.” Nevertheless he didn’t mentioned it again when he saw that she was not willing to give up hope.  
She saw that he was worried too and more about her than about himself.  
“Craig, you are a strong wolf and as a man you are preparing well as I can see. Just look at those muscles you’ve built up so far. I am nothing but an owl and a female. I will never reach the same level of strength as you.” She had replied. “You know that all wolves are men. How can I compete physically? No, I have to find my own way to deal with the fight we are facing.”  
He knew she couldn’t stand up to the men-wolves that was what worried him most. If only she hadn’t promised not to leave his side. He would feel much more comfortable if he knew her safe.  
However he also knew that she would not be swayed to give up her plans to fight by his side.  
“Are you still hoping ... You know ... that ... you know what I mean ... about the wolf.”  
She had nodded.  
“There must be a loophole. And I am determined to find it.” She had said.  
He hadn’t pick up this topic ever since. She was a hopeless optimist. He only feared her disappointment when she had to accept the fact that there was no way out.  
He himself tried to push the thought aside as best as possible.

Opal did train however, but made sure that Craig didn’t see. Somehow she had the feeling that he didn’t cope well with the fact that she had powers beyond his comprehension.  
She was working on building up the power behind her energy throws and now after three weeks was able to fell a middle sized tree with one powerful blow.

As usual with approaching of full moon Craig’s nights grew restless and this time even her nearness at night couldn’t calm him down.  
She knew, therefore she didn’t tried. She too felt nervous.  
A few days before turning of the moon Opal watched the women put up the tapestry with the embroidered prophecy on. Suddenly it hit her.  
“Catarina. Catarina.” She began to shout running over to meet with the old woman who came out of her tent.  
Both women sat together studying the tapestry.  
“You all have copied it true to the original, have you?”  
Catarina nodded. “Yes.”  
But then she went and fetched the original parchment.  
“Just to make sure.” She had said and smiled. Opal had smiled back at her.  
“So now, lass, what have you spotted?” The old woman said on her return.

An hour later the women sat around the main fire place laughing and chatting. The men found them there when they returned from their hunt with deer for their reward.  
The men, apart from Craig, seemed as excited as the women. However, with the hunted deer in need to be taken care of, they all had their work cut out and Opal as well as Craig added their share to the workload.

Although Opal was a ‘shifter’ and Craig a ‘wolf’ the clan members had begun to like the two. Nevertheless non of the men apart from Zale had seen Craig in his wolf-shape and nobody had seen Opal’s owl. Opal wasn’t sure how the gypsies would react when they first encountered their animals.  
During their wait for the turn of the moon there had been a clash with the villagers, who disapproved of the gypsies' presence.  
Opal and Craig had stood up against the villagers and defended the camp of their new friends. After that incident all members of the family had started to make an effort to get to know Craig and Opal better. The men even invited the ‘wolf’ to go hunting with them.

Two days before the change in the moon Opal and Catarina called a meeting.  
Putting up the tapestry for all to see they planned to present their plan how to defeat the creator of the wolves. They also needed to hear Craig's and the hunters' opinion about their plan and see if the men thought it practicable.  
Another point on the agenda for Opal was to persuade the hunters to spare Wolf-Craig in case he should survive the fight with the creator. According to the prophecy the survival of the blue eyed wolf was in doubt. However Opal still hoped that the destruction of the men-wolves' creator by Craig or the blue eyed wolf would set free Craig from the spell and the wolf would vanish without harm to be done to Craig. Opal hoped that now that the clan members knew Craig better, they would agree not to hunt Craig's wolf down after the creator had been destroyed in case the spell wasn’t broken.

Catarina and Opal’s plan for the attack was that the hunters would engage the men-wolves by hunting them in three groups for one wolf each. Meanwhile Opal and Craig would attack the creator.  
Only there was still another problem to consider, according to the studies Craig and Opal had done over the previous years Craig was not allowed to kill a human being otherwise he would turn into the wolf permanently.  
The legend of the gypsies on the other hand stated that only the blue eyed wolf was able to rip out the wolf’s heart in the creator’s chest.

“So, can this creator be killed?” Opal asked, “I mean by somebody else. Me for instance. Can I kill him and then Craig could take out the wolf’s heart, is that possible?”  
Some of the gypsies shook their heads, others shrugged.  
“When you go out wolf hunting, you are killing them, right?”  
The men nodded. They prided themselves to have see to that there were never more than three men-wolves haunting these forests.  
Despite Craig not feeling very comfortable with the topic Opal encouraged the hunters to tell the stories of their huntings. She wanted to know what the men had done with the corpses of the wolves. Did the killed wolves remain animal or were they turning back into their human form?


	8. The Prophecy fulfils?

Finally the day came and the men made ready. Craig had been pacing up and down like a tiger in a cage all day long. Opal was nervous too. Too nervous to be of help to him. So not to get unnecessarily unto his nerves she walked to the small pier there by the lake.  
She hadn't been long when the boards began to vibrate under her bum and creaking with every step he took. She didn't needed to turn around to know that it was Craig.

"The men are checking their weapons. It makes me uneasy."  
Opal just nodded.  
"I'm nervous too. But not because of the hunters."  
She grew silent, staring over the mirroring surface of the water.  
"You really wanna come?" He asked even so he already knew the answer. She didn't bothered to reply. It wasn't necessary.

He had his arm around her shoulder; she had reached up and taken gold of his hand into hers. Later as the sun slowly sank behind the lake and tinted the countryside as if blood had already been spilled, they met with the hunters.  
The men were wearing their tokens of good luck painted on faces and hands. They looked scary, an impression that was enhanced by the outfits they wore. For all of them were covered in wolves' skins of different shades.  
As agreed they would split up in three groups. Each group taking up the fight with one wolf. As soon as they had the wolves engaged they would blow their horns so Craig and Opal could start their own hunt after the third horn had rung.

Craig changed form right before the hunters astonished eyes, causing stares and uncomfortable scoffs when the men laid eyes on the huge black wolf he had turned into.  
Their leader gingerly came foreword and the wolf instinctively started to snarl but Opal held him back as the man bowed before the two.  
"As agreed! All will be as agreed." He said and then laid a crossbow and a quiver filled with silver topped arrows before Opal's feet.  
"They have been sprinkled with holy water." Catarina said stepping up next to the leader of the hunters.  
"I know that you don't believe in things like this's, but we do. So please accept this gift from us."  
Craig-wolf growled low and Opal knew he wanted her to accept the gift.  
"OK. I thank you kindly." Opal said and picking up bow and quiver to shoulder both.

"We're better be off, momma." The leader of the hunters said, kissing Catarina on the forehead. Catarina drew the sign of the cross on his forehead and kissed him in return. "May the blessed Virgin Mary protecting you my son." Tears were filling her eyes.

The wolf grew restless and then there were the howling of a group of wolves heard cutting through the silence of the evening.  
"Time to go." The hunters' leader said to his men and Opal nodded in agreement. Craig-wolf stood up, his blue eyes shining as if being illuminated from behind by a candle.  
The hunters left using the howls of the wolves as a guide in which direction to go.

Craig, the wolf and Opal, the woman were heading in a different direction, up towards the mountains towards the lonely chalet just above the tree line, where no large tree could grow and which was said to be the home of the creator of the wolves. The chalet seemed to be build into the rock face which raised steep just behind its buildings.  
As soon as the hunters were gone Opal had said her farewell to Catarina. She had to smile when she saw Craig-wolf raise his front paw and placed it on the old woman's arm as a sort of greeting. Catarina too had smiled and given them both her blessing just as she had done with the hunters and her son.

Opal and her wolf companion picked up their stuff of their broken up camp, leaving the gypsies encampment somehow sure they never would return.  
They hiked until they reached the crossroads near the inn. There Opal strapped their backpacks, the crossbow and the quiver onto the wolf's back before changing into the great horned owl.  
Flying overhead directing the wolf with a hoot every once in a while. The wolf harkened and followed. She was leading them higher up constantly but before they lost the protection of the shielding trees they called a rest and the owl slowly descended to land next to the wolf.

Opal changed back into her human form, took the wolf’s head into her hands locking her eyes now shining in bright blue again with the wolf’s blue eyes.  
“I need you to turn, Craig.” She said her blue eyes almost hypnotizing him. “This is your first lesson as a shifter. Concentrate. Concentrate on you as a man. A human being. DO IT!”  
Slowly the wolf vanished and the man appeared.  
“Good. Very good. Well done.” Opal said squeezing his hand. “We don’t want to give away our surprise weapon, would we?”  
She smiled and he returned her smile.  
“Secret weapon, huh?” He said and she nodded.  
“Ready?” She asked shortly after and took her rucksack, the crossbow and quiver off him.  
Then she turned her back towards him and breathing deeply she uttered during an exhale.  
“I’m worried.” Tears stinging her eyes.  
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and with a coarse voice said: “I’m worried too.”  
She turned in his arms.  
“OK. Let’s do this. We can do this. Let’s go.”  
He simply nodded.

Just before they left the forest they stirred a swarm of crows which flew up screeching, croaking, circling over the tops of the trees until they had stepped out into the open.  
“Damn birds.” Opal cussed. “If I could turn, owl would teach these pests a thing or two.”  
Craig had to grin but cautioned her.  
“Better don’t. We won’t give our secrets away to easily, remember?” He said and she had to agree.  
“I’d rather have that bugger think we are easy target than show him our strength too early.”  
Opal stopped short, grabbing Craig’s arm as a thought shot up in her head.  
“Craig! What if he isn’t at home?”  
“Oh, somebody is at home all right.” Craig replied and pointed, “Look! There’s light in the windows.”  
He gave her a brief one armed hug.  
“Come on. Let’s get this behind us.” He said.

It wasn’t an easy walk but rather a steep climb up to the house and both were glad that they were in good shape. They reached the entrance to the house. If ever they had wondered how to enter the building they found that problem taken care of as the door stood wide open.  
“That’s odd.” Craig wondered.  
“Maybe left open for when the wolves return.” Opal suggested.  
“Possible. Still a bit odd, don't you think?” Craig replied shaking his head. “Let’s be careful not to walk into a trap, shall we?” He suggested and Opal smiled and nodded.  
They approached the door as silently as possible and peeking inside found that the hall with a staircase was empty. With quick signals of hands it was agreed that one would check the rooms to the right, all corners and doors and the other the ones to the left. However they found that the ground floor level was empty.  
The kitchen in a mess showing that there were more than just four animal-people living in the house.  
Opal waved Craig to come over and pointed. They counted and came to the conclusion that at least six people had been served meals recently.  
“The hunters are dealing with three men-wolves. They were sure that only three were regularly seen out there.” Opal whispered.  
“So either we are dealing with two servant or two more wolves, possible guards beside the creator.” Craig replied sotto voce and added, “Do you think you could check upstairs? I shall stay down here to make sure nobody falls into your back.”  
She nodded her agreement and he checked the hall again before both came out of the kitchen.

As she was about to set foot onto the first step he grabbed her by her arm.  
“Try to be careful not to make the stair creak.” He whispered.  
She smiled but carefully probed before each step fell with full weight on the wooden boards.  
As she reached the landing she turned with a questioning look pointing to the left and then to the right.  
Craig smiled at her and pointed to the right to which she nodded and grinned.  
She went to the right still carefully placing each step. Slowly she pushed down the door handle and opened the door to the room until she could poke her head inside.  
Luckily a mirror was placed so that she could see if somebody was hiding behind the door. But the room was empty and even a quick check under the three beds, inside the wardrobe and behind the floor length curtains confirmed that result.  
Silently she closed the door and returned to the top of the stairs finding Craig still standing below looking out for her.  
She shook her head to signal him that she hadn’t found anybody. Craig confirmed with a nod.

Then she sneaked to the left where she reached a corridor and with it needed to venture out of Craig’s sight. Before she vanished from Craig’s view she signaled him that she could count three doors.  
She decided to check the nearest door first and found it to be a bathroom. However the state of the room made her retch. She had to stepped back out of the corridor to take a deep breath, looking pale and sad.  
She could see Craig’s face pulling a worried frown as he signalled her his willingness to come up and join her but she declined.  
Then she ventured out of his view again and this time stayed away for what seemed like hours to him. He began to fear that she had come to harm. Just as he was about to climb the stairs himself she reappeared. Her hands were bloodstained as were her clothes. Swiftly but still carefully she came downstairs to join him.  
“One down.” She whispered. “Oh, Craig. I don’t know what they are up to but that bathroom upstairs made me sick. It looks as if they have slaughtered someone in there. Blood everywhere. Even up the walls.” She shuddered at the memory.

However there was no time to reminiscence as a wooden wall panel moved revealing a hidden staircase to a basement. Out of there came a very strange creature not really man and not proper wolf. The creature that clearly had been a man once looked very much disfigured.  
Opal and Craig spread out and Opal reloaded her crossbow, signaling Craig that she would take on the creature which clearly was the second of the servants.  
Before the wooden wall panel could slide back into place Craig had dashed forward and blocked the door by wedging a chair in its way.  
“GO!” Opal shouted, “I’ll deal with this and come after.”  
The creature snarled and hissed at her whilst at the same time deep from the house’s basement an angry growl could be heard giving away the position of the creator.  
Climbing over the chair without moving it out of place for Opal to follow, Craig vanished into the dark gaping opening.


	9. Doom averted?

Opal was shooting one of her arrows hitting the creature in the throat. The arrow head hissed and smoked as it hit the flesh and then a terrible scream followed as the creature collapsed to his knees. Blood spilling from his mouth and throat in a pulsing rhythm with each heartbeat.  
Opal let another arrow follow aiming for the heart this time and as the missile hit the target the creature fell flat on his face and died.

Opal went over turned the corpse to collect her two arrows when a deep growl reached her ear coming from the open entrance door. One of the wolves had escaped the hunters and returned to the chalet. With no time to reload the crossbow Opal crossed the middle finger over the ring finger of both her hands and immediately the energy ball filled her palms with a light blueish tint. Quickly she fired the energy balls at the wolf who now seeing her had started to attack.  
The energy balls she fired at the wolf tore a hole into the wolf’s body and he collapsed into a heap in the midst of the hall and died on the spot.  
Opal turned again and bending down to collect her crossbow and the quiver with the arrows was met with a great blow that knocked her off her feet and she hit the ground full force.  
A burning pain in her shoulder made her scream and then she blacked out.

 

Craig had to feel his way down the dark staircase as soon as he had climbed over the chair which held the secret door panel open. It seemed that inside all light even the bit that fell in through that door was swallowed immediately. It was pitch black and he stumbled more than he walked. Fearing to fall down the stairs Craig decided to turn into the wolf as the animal’s night sight was by far superior to his as a human.  
As Opal had taught him he started to concentrate only this time the other way round, on being the wolf, and indeed he quickly turned.  
He immediately noticed that it had worked for the dark staircase appeared to be lit by a grey-blueish light and the steps of the stair had become clearly visible.  
His smell had been enhanced as well and he distinguished at least thirteen different people or wolves on his way down.

The stairs ended leading into a room that looked like a laboratory. The walls were lined with cages. Twelve of them in use with ten men-wolves in different stages of development and two with two youngsters from the village that hadn’t been infected yet.  
At the entrance to the room Craig had turned back into his human form and for a minute wondered how easy he could swap appearances. He was beginning to enjoy it.  
He walked over to the cages in which the village boys were kept and after checking the lock found it easy to pick and set the two boys free.  
“You better run.” He said to them and the two didn’t waited long but dashed out the room and stumbled up the dark stairs. The crashed into the chair and the last at least was quick enough to push it back into position before rushing past Opal who was still in fight with the servant-creature.

The remaining half finished creatures in their cages were hooked to some kind of blood washing or exchanging machine. Craig guessed that they were filled with infected blood that way. Looking as the construction Craig decided to tear the tube that connected the blood pump with the container of infected blood. The tube disconnected was sucking up air pumping it into the veins of the creatures, which now were doomed to die.

From a back room there came a growl and at high speed the creator, the original wolf-man jumped out into the laboratory space. Craig who had heard the growl coming nearer saw himself face to face with the first wolf ever created, or was he really the first? Craig suddenly doubted that he really faced an ancient monster looking at the strange half-man half-wolf standing at the other end of the room.  
The wolf-man snarled at him standing high on his hind legs which made them look oddly misshapen. Arms looked rather like some very hairy human arms though, at least if one overlooked the claw-like fingernails.  
Craig turned back into the magnificent beast that was he as the tall blue eyed black wolf and rolling back his lips snarled at his opponent.

The wolf-man seemed surprised and confused seeing Craig changing and then Craig smelled it. Fear.  
Suddenly Craig remembered what the gypsies had said about the creator. That he had been attacked by a rabies wolf. A wolf possibly very much like the one he just had turned into.  
The wolf-man jumped over the laboratory desk and to Craig’s surprise didn’t even tried to attack him but went straight for the stairway. Just as Craig-wolf had let go of the spring in his hind leg muscles and launched himself towards his enemy.

Craig was hot on his heels as they ran up the dark staircase. However the beast was out first and when Craig emerged from the door in the wall panel he thought his heart would stop.

The wolf-man had Opal between his teeth ripping apart her shoulder. Craig felt the rage building as a red filtered film rolled up before his eyes tinting what he saw in blood red.  
Craig enraged jumped forward lapped onto the wolf-man’s back and bit into the back of the beast’s neck. He heard the bones crushing as he broke the neck with one crushing clasp of his jaws. In his rage he flung the now limp body to the left and right and over again, ripping more of the creature’s flesh.  
Shocked at his own reaction he let go and turned into his human form. He dragged the wolf-man away from Opal breaking his jaw in the process to free her from the clamp shut hold of the jaw. Then he turned him onto his back, ran over into the kitchen and got a knife.  
Returning to the body of the wolf-man he slammed the knife in the beast’s chest and opened it with ripping and stabbing motions. Squeezing open the wolf-man’s torax he cut out his heart.  
He couldn’t say what came over him but he ate the bloody thing raw.

Then he turned his attention towards Opal who still lay unconscious. He wailed looking at her shoulder which was brutally mauled.  
Taking her on his back Craig turned back into the wolf and with wide strides left the chalet, rushing along the paths of the forest until he reached the bushland by the lake.  
He hoped the gypsies hadn’t broken up camp yet. It was the only place he knew Opal was save and would be cared for, her wound treated and possibly healed.  
Before entering the camp Craig went down on his belly and slowly rolled Opal off his back. Then he turned back into the human man and picked her up in his arms.  
As he approached the tents he started to call out for Catarina as he carried his injured friend as fast as he could manage towards Catarina’s tent.

The old woman came out of her tent and quickly evaluated the situation called out for the other members of the clan to come and help.  
“What happened?” She asked Craig who breathlessly explained, voice hollow from exhaustion and worry.  
“Before I could kill the man-wolf creator he attacked Opal and he’s torn a piece of flesh out of her shoulder. Help her, Catarina. Please don’t let her die.” He pleaded.  
“I’m not sure if I can. But I will try.” The old woman said and the gypsies took Opal away.  
Not sure what to do with himself Craig at first paced in front of the tent Opal had been taken to. He knew he couldn’t help. But still was too restless, too agitated to settle down.  
He started to walk and soon found himself at the little pier.  
He sat down, staring out onto the water. The full moon swam in the middle of the lake on the black mirror and Craig felt like crying. He didn’t wanted to turn back into the wolf but still the urge to howl grew strongly inside him and finally he couldn’t hold it back any longer. He lifted his head and howled at the moon, let the wolf cry and deal with all the sorrows that weighted down his soul.  
He howled three times and then his tears began to flow.  
What if Opal would die? All women who had been attacked by the men-wolves had died. It would be his fault. She had come all the way only because of him.

Tears were still streaming over his face when the vibration of the pier’s boards told him somebody had come. But there wasn’t Opal’s smell.  
On the contrary. No, this smell was musky, masculine.  
Craig turned around and stared at the leader of the hunters, Catarina’s son, standing at on the other end of the pier, his weapon still in hand.  
“Are you going to kill me now?” Craig asked. “If so make it quick.”  
Craig turned his back to the young man.  
“I thought I’d find the wolf.” Catarina’s son said. “I wasn’t prepared to find ... You.”  
Craig didn’t respond instead he now had begun to sob into his hands covering his face.

A arm was extended as a body sat down next to him. A hand touched his as it laid on the boards of the pier.  
“I killed him ...” Craig sobbed, “But ... I wasn’t ... Wasn’t fast enough. Couldn’t ... Couldn’t safe her.”  
“I know the feeling. We’ve lost some men this night. Good friends.” The young man sitting next to him said. Craig swallowed as he heard a sob escaping the chest of the young man.  
“One of the wolves escaped. He mauled three of my friends before he vanished.” The young spoke again after he fought his tears down. "I had to kill my best friend to stop him from turning." Craig nodded.  
“He came back to the house. Opal killed him.” Craig said softly as tears still streamed from his eyes.  
“He was breeding, you know?” Craig said after a while spent in silence. “Breeding new wolves. Two of his captives weren’t affected. I set them free. They were just boys. From the village.”  
Craig sighed deeply.  
“There were others. But we , no ... I ... killed them all. They were infected already.”

Craig found that the young man had wrapped his arm around him and held him close.  
“Your friends, the others ...” Craig asked, “did they suffer?”  
The young hunter stared out at the black lake and answered.  
“Two of them were killed immediately. No. No, I don’t think they suffered too much.”  
“They were close ... Close friends too?”  
The hunter nodded.  
“Are you still ...?”  
“A wolf? Yes. I’m still a wolf. But she ...” Craig suddenly couldn’t bring Opal’s name over his lips. “She told me how to handle it. I can control it now. It’s no longer controlling me.”  
“You know, you can’t stay here, being a wolf? We would need to hunt you. Kill you. You better leave.”  
Craig nodded, he understood. He was fully aware of the vow the gypsies had made.  
“I just thought ... I could ... Just stay ... Until ...”  
He stopped as tears were choking him again.  
The young hunter hugged him, squeezing his shoulder.  
“No! You must leave immediately. I don’t want to stay here either. Maybe we can go together?" The young man said.  
Craig startled and looked at the young man next to him astonished.  
“But ... What about Catarina? She’s your mother, isn’t she?”  
The hunter nodded.  
“She’ll understand. - Best we leave now. If you allow me to come with you. My pack is already packed. All I need to do is to pick it up from the camp.”  
This reminded Craig that his and Opal’s backpacks were still at the chalet.  
“Shit! OH SHIT! I have to go back there and get our stuff.” He exclaimed.  
“Do you want me to go with you?” The hunter offered.  
“Would you? ... By the way, what is your name?”  
“Zeth. My name is Zeth and yes, I will go with you to the chalet.”

The two men helped each other up and walked up the path into the forest and over the crossroad up the mountains.  
It was beginning to dawn when they reached the house. The corpses of the dead wolf-men were still lying around.  
Zeth stared wide eyed at the strange wolf-men creature that was the creator of all the other wolf-men. He shuddered.  
“He doesn’t look like ...” He blushed a little. “Doesn’t look like you at all. You’re a proper animal nothing like this.” Zeth pointed at the corpse and seeing the beast's torn up chest he gasped.  
“Did you ... Did you do that? What ... What happened ... To his heart?”  
Craig looked down at his feet feeling ashamed but confessed non the less.  
“I cut it out.” He shivered suddenly. “I ate it.”  
“You what?”  
“I ate his heart. Raw.” Craig repeated. “I don’t know why? I was full of anger. Raging. He had hurt her. Bitten her.” Craig sobbed again. “I fear she will die.”

Zeth took him in his arms and soothed him.  
“Let’s check they are really all dead. Maybe we should bury them. What you think?” He asked Craig who just nodded.  
Craig walked through all the rooms of the house and dragged the corpses out of the house. At the same time he counted, checking that none of the wolves were missing.  
“What are you usually do when you killed one of them?” He asked Zeth who had come to give him a hand.  
“We burn them.” The young hunter said.  
So the two build a pyre and stacked the corpses on it and set it alight. Then they fetched the two rucksacks and returned to the gypsies' camp.  
Zeth went to get his travel gear and Craig dropped Opal’s pack near Catarina’s tent.  
Just then Zeth reappeared and the two walked up to the crossroad, past the inn and through the village to the station.  
They bought tickets and boarded the first train to arrive.


	10. Epilogue

Many years had gone by and the gypsies had moved on. Now that the wolves were all gone they had no reason to stay and the villagers had been causing them too much trouble to reconsider. Only Catarina and Zale had remained behind too old to go on another voyage. Catarina also was hoping that one day her son Zeth would come back to search for her.  
However they had left the place by the lake and had taken up house in the old chalet in the mountains, which was desolate after the wolves had gone.

The wolf-men had all been killed and even the man-wolf, that lone black wolf with the blue eyes was long gone. With the man-wolf Catarina’s only son had disappeared too and the old woman wasn’t sure if he had gone to hunt or if he had left together with the wolf. However Catarina and Zale waited hoping he would come back, but many years had gone and he had remained illusive.  
In the meantime stories, folktales emerged, reaching the ears of the inhabitants of the old chalet about a huntsman who traveled with a tall black wolf. None of the inhabitants admitted to it but secretly they all hoped against hope.

The winters had become harder and harder to bear for the old couple. Hadn’t it been for their trusted companion a healer they certainly wouldn’t have seen so many years.  
The healer a woman by some years younger than the two had looked after them as if they were her own parents. After a while even the village folks would come and ask for medicine as the three had slowly gained their trust, and they never turned anyone down not even the landlord of the inn by the crossroads.  
If the villagers weren’t able to pay cash the healer would allow barter or asked them to help with the repairs to the crumbling old house.  
Over the years the bond of mutual trust had deepened and as the village grew the people forgot about the bad reputation of the chalet.

The years flew by and one very harsh winter the old man Zale died after having fallen ill for some time. His heart simply stopped and the women found him dead in the kitchen on the bench by the fireplace. Before arrival of spring even Catarina got sick. The healer woman tried many different herbs however the old woman grew weaker as the days passed.  
“Have you given up on life, Catarina? Do you wish to join Zale in the afterlife?” the healer had asked and the old woman had smiled and coaxingly replied before a coughing fit shut her up.  
“Not yet, my child. He is coming home. Soon, I can feel it. He and the wolf.”  
The healer had shaken her head.  
“How can you be so sure, Cat? We haven’t heard of them for such a long time.”  
Exhausted the old woman had sighed but answered.  
“They are on their way. They will come before the end of this year. Before the next winter. A mother’s heart knows.”  
The old gypsy had sunken back on her bed and closed her eyes. The healer had not responded but ever since found herself on the look out for the two missing loved ones.

As the days grew longer and warmth filled the air old Catarina grew stronger again and after a short while was able to leave her sick bed and even pick up on light chores of housework.  
On mild days she would take her work out of the old house sitting on a bench under the kitchen window and the children of the town to which the village had grown would come and sit at her feet whilst she was peeling potatoes or chopped vegetables for the meals.  
“Tell us a story, Cat.” The children would say. “Tell us the story of the blue eyed wolf.”  
Of course old Catarina would oblige.

The healer flinched each time the name of the bue eyed wolf was mentioned but she never interrupted the story or asked Cat not to tell.  
She wondered often if the old woman was right and the wolf and her son were indeed on their way to visit. She hoped it to be the case on one hand. She wanted to see the wolf one last time.  
She knew she had changed. Changed significantly. She wondered if he would recognize her at all.  
At times she would sit before the mirror and stare at the woman staring back at her. Was that really her? Those strands of white hair? The slightly leaning head that would never again sit straight on her shoulders? The drooping left shoulder with the stiff joint? She could move her arm perfectly well up to her elbow but beyond it was immobile, the shoulder joint no longer working.  
There were other times when she hoped the old woman was wrong. That her son and the wolf would not come. No, better he would never see her like she was now.  
She couldn’t agree with herself, her heart and mind were torn.

The children and the rest of the townsfolk had grown used to the sight of the loop-sided woman, who’s body seemed to lean to the left. Still she lived like a hermit nun with the old gypsy as only companion in the old spooky house up in the mountains.  
As of late scars of burns had added to her shrewd look as she had tried to come to the aid of the inn’s proprietor when a lightning strike had set the old thatched house on fire.  
However, she was respected for her knowledge in herb-lore and for her talent as a healer.

One day at the end of the summer gossip ran riot when two strangers stepped off the train. One tall dark haired man with warm brown eyes and a slightly smaller one with vivid blue eyes as blue as the sky above, framed by long dark lashes and strong eyebrows.  
The tall man did all the talking, asking after the two women and the old man. The men’s faces were lively and full of astonishment as they learnt that the two women had taken the old chalet for their domicile and the old man died a while ago.  
“Are you OK going to the chalet?” The tall man asked his friend. “It might trigger unpleasant memories.”  
However his companion shook his head. Almost inaudible he replied.  
“If they can bear to be and live there. So can I bear to visit.”  
The tall man nodded and they took up their backpacks, thanked the people for the information provided and set out to walk up to the mountains.

They had to go past the old inn at the crossroad. When they arrived there the smaller man stopped and stared. He marveled what had happened to the ruin that once had been the inn now crumbled down after it had burnt out.  
“Wow, what happened here? Looks like it’s burnt to the ground.” He said to his taller companion. “I remember when we came here first, it looked very forbidding but now ... Scary, haunted.”

As they had to take the path up to the mountain they had to follow the wall of the old inn for a while. The wall however was crumbled too, tumbled down in places and at the former service gate one of the wooden doors hung by one hinge, the other already fallen to the ground.  
“The first night the landlord and the villagers came to attack us and I jumped that gate.” The smaller man remembered. He then walked past the gate as if drawn by force, stepping into the courtyard to see if the back building where they had taken up room was still standing.  
Indeed it was unaffected by the blaze that had destroyed the inn but was suffering from neglect. Tiles of the roof had fallen down and the windows were all smashed.  
“Seems like you are slowing us down on purpose.” The tall man joked. “Are you dreading to go there?”  
He blushed.  
“Possible.” He confessed but then picked up his pack and himself. “Nah! Come on. That’s all rubbish. Let’s go. If we are lucky we make it before sundown.”

The two picked up the trail and their pace and before the sun set behind the lake they reached the old building half-buried into the rock face of the mountain looming above.  
Shortly before they reached the door the smaller man stopped again, holding his friend back by his elbow.  
“Zeth. Wait a minute.”  
“Are you OK, Craig?”  
A nod came for an answer.  
“It’s just ... Doesn’t it look different to you too?”  
Zeth squinted his eyes as he stared at the house. He remembered the building darker, scarier.  
“Hm! Maybe it’s the colourful curtains and the flower pods in the windows.” He said giving his companion a nudge with his elbow. Did the Creator had a bench under the window? Actually, Craig, I don’t quite remember. I’ve only been here once with you. That night ... When we came to get your things.”

The door to the house opened and an old white haired woman leaning heavily on a walking cane appeared. Zeth immediately started to break into a run and shouted.  
“Momma? Momma!”  
The old woman stopped her hand shielding her eyes against the low sun stinging her eyes. A smile broke her face.  
“Zeth! Oh Zeth, my boy. Oh, you came home. Just as I was saying all the time. You came.”  
The tall man wrapped his arms around the fragile old woman who’s face even though lit with joy was bathed in tears.  
“Is this Craig?” She asked after hugging and kissing her son for a greeting.  
Her son nodded and waved his friend to come closer.  
“Is he still ...?”  
Again her son nodded.  
“Oh!”  
“But he is rarely turning lately. He has the wolf under total control.” Zeth said and patted his mother’s hand.

Craig took a deep breath, smiled and set one foot before the other.  
The commotion outside had drawn the healer’s attention and so the door to the house was opened again and out stepped another woman. Looking a little loop-sided with her entire body leaning slightly to the left.  
Craig stopped, stared and then he too broke into a run.  
“OPAL! OPAL! OH MY GOD, OPAL!”  
He swooped her off her feet swirling her around.  
All he managed to say was her name. A name he hadn’t spoken for many years. All the time he had feared her dead, blamed himself for her demise.  
Only when they had met with another Shaper they had learnt that the woman was still alive. And yet, he had had his doubts.  
Gingerly he had agreed to come, when Zeth had asked him to come too; told him that he wanted to see his old mother one more time before she died.  
And now both held them in their arms.

He clearly could see that her days as a Shaper were over. The shoulder that made the woman awkwardly leaning to the left would be as defected and useless for the owl as it was to the woman. But all this counted for nothing. Opal was alive and that was all he needed to know.

THE END

 

“Now, what do you say?” She said looking him into the bright blue eyes. “There you have it. A story told and no smut at all.”  
He grinned.  
“Did you like it?” She asked.  
He shrugged.  
“A bit boring.” He said, “Maybe you should stick to writing smut.”  
“Boring?” She asked and reached out with her hand. Last minute he pushed the hand away before she could feel his crotch.  
“Bored but not even stiff!” She said teasingly, standing up and giving him one of her dirty laughs.  
“Go and tell me a better one then, Craig.” She said and left him sitting.


End file.
